BILL REQ. #: H-1480.1
State of Washington | 63rd Legislature | 2013 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 03/01/13.
AN ACT Relating to payment of property taxes; amending RCW 84.56.020 and 84.56.070; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that it is difficult
for many property owners to pay property taxes under the current system
where past due property tax payments must be paid in full, including
penalties and interest. The legislature further finds that providing
counties and property owners some flexibility in structuring past due
property tax payments may provide some relief for property owners with
delinquent tax payments.
Sec. 2 RCW 84.56.020 and 2010 c 200 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The county treasurer must be the receiver and collector of all
taxes extended upon the tax rolls of the county, whether levied for
state, county, school, bridge, road, municipal or other purposes, and
also of all fines, forfeitures or penalties received by any person or
officer for the use of his or her county. No treasurer may accept tax
payments or issue receipts for the same until the treasurer has
completed the tax roll for the current year's collection and provided
notification of the completion of the roll. Notification may be
accomplished electronically, by posting a notice in the office, or
through other written communication as determined by the treasurer.
All taxes upon real and personal property made payable by the
provisions of this title are due and payable to the treasurer on or
before the thirtieth day of April and, except as provided in this
section, shall be delinquent after that date.
(2) Each tax statement must include a notice that checks for
payment of taxes may be made payable to "Treasurer of . . . . . .
County" or other appropriate office, but tax statements may not include
any suggestion that checks may be made payable to the name of the
individual holding the office of treasurer nor any other individual.
(3) When the total amount of tax or special assessments on personal
property or on any lot, block or tract of real property payable by one
person is fifty dollars or more, and if one-half of such tax be paid on
or before the thirtieth day of April, the remainder of such tax is due
and payable on or before the thirty-first day of October following and
shall be delinquent after that date.
(4) When the total amount of tax or special assessments on any lot,
block or tract of real property or on any mobile home payable by one
person is fifty dollars or more, and if one-half of such tax be paid
after the thirtieth day of April but before the thirty-first day of
October, together with the applicable interest and penalty on the full
amount of tax payable for that year, the remainder of such tax is due
and payable on or before the thirty-first day of October following and
is delinquent after that date.
(5) Delinquent taxes under this section are subject to interest at
the rate of twelve percent per annum computed on a monthly basis on the
full year amount of tax unpaid from the date of delinquency until paid.
Interest must be calculated at the rate in effect at the time of
payment of the tax, regardless of when the taxes were first delinquent.
In addition, delinquent taxes under this section are subject to
penalties as follows:
(a) A penalty of three percent of the full year amount of tax
unpaid is assessed on the tax delinquent on June 1st of the year in
which the tax is due.
(b) An additional penalty of eight percent is assessed on the
amount of tax delinquent on December 1st of the year in which the tax
is due.
(6)(a) When real property taxes become delinquent and prior to the
filing of the certificate of delinquency, the treasurer is authorized
to assess and collect tax foreclosure avoidance costs.
(b) For the purposes of this section, "tax foreclosure avoidance
costs" means those costs that can be identified specifically with the
administration of properties subject to and prior to foreclosure. Tax
foreclosure avoidance costs include:
(i) Compensation of employees for the time devoted and identified
specifically to administering the avoidance of property foreclosure;
and
(ii) The cost of materials, services, or equipment acquired,
consumed, or expended specifically for the purpose of administering tax
foreclosure avoidance prior to the filing of a certificate of
delinquency.
(c) When tax foreclosure avoidance costs are collected, the tax
foreclosure avoidance costs must be credited to the county treasurer
service fund account, except as otherwise directed.
(d) For purposes of chapter 84.64 RCW, any taxes, interest, or
penalties deemed delinquent under this section remain delinquent until
such time as all taxes, interest, and penalties for the tax year in
which the taxes were first due and payable have been paid in full.
(7) Subsection (5) of this section notwithstanding, no interest or
penalties may be assessed during any period of armed conflict on
delinquent taxes imposed on the personal residences owned by active
duty military personnel who are participating as part of one of the
branches of the military involved in the conflict and assigned to a
duty station outside the territorial boundaries of the United States.
(((7))) (8) During a state of emergency declared under RCW
43.06.010(12), the county treasurer, on his or her own motion or at the
request of any taxpayer affected by the emergency, may grant extensions
of the due date of any taxes payable under this section as the
treasurer deems proper.
(((8))) (9) For purposes of this chapter, "interest" means both
interest and penalties.
(((9))) (10) All collections of interest on delinquent taxes must
be credited to the county current expense fund; but the cost of
foreclosure and sale of real property, and the fees and costs of
distraint and sale of personal property, for delinquent taxes, must,
when collected, be credited to the operation and maintenance fund of
the county treasurer prosecuting the foreclosure or distraint or sale;
and must be used by the county treasurer as a revolving fund to defray
the cost of further foreclosure, distraint and sale for delinquent
taxes without regard to budget limitations.
(((10))) (11)(a) For purposes of this chapter, and in accordance
with this section and RCW 36.29.190, the treasurer may collect taxes,
assessments, fees, rates, interest, and charges by electronic bill
presentment and payment. Electronic bill presentment and payment may
be utilized as an option by the taxpayer, but the treasurer may not
require the use of electronic bill presentment and payment. Electronic
bill presentment and payment may be on a monthly or other periodic
basis as the treasurer deems proper for ((prepayments)) delinquent tax
year payments only or for prepayments of current tax. All prepayments
must be paid in full by the due date specified in (c) of this
subsection. Payments on past due taxes must include collection of the
oldest delinquent year, which includes interest and taxes within a
twelve-month period, prior to filing a certificate of delinquency under
chapter 84.64 RCW or distraint pursuant to RCW 84.56.070.
(b) The treasurer must provide, by electronic means or otherwise,
a payment agreement that ((may include prepayment collection charges.
The payment agreement must be signed by the taxpayer and treasurer
prior to the sending of an electronic bill)) provides for payment of
current year taxes, inclusive of prepayment collection charges. The
treasurer may provide, by electronic means or otherwise, a payment
agreement for payment of past due delinquencies, which must also
require current year taxes to be paid timely. The payment agreement
must be signed by the taxpayer and treasurer prior to the sending of an
electronic or alternative bill, which includes a payment plan for
current year taxes.
(c) All taxes upon real and personal property made payable by the
provisions of this title are due and payable to the treasurer on or
before the thirtieth day of April and are delinquent after that date.
The remainder of the tax is due and payable on or before the thirty-
first day of October following and is delinquent after that date. All
other assessments, fees, rates, and charges are delinquent after the
due date.
(d) A county legislative authority may authorize payment of past
due property taxes, penalties, and interest under this chapter by
electronic funds transfer payments on a monthly basis. Monthly
payments must first be applied to penalties and interest. Delinquent
taxes are subject to interest and penalties, as provided in subsection
(5) of this section.
(e) The treasurer must pay any collection costs, investment
earnings, or both on past due payments or prepayments to the credit of
a county treasurer service fund account to be created and used only for
the payment of expenses incurred by the treasurer, without limitation,
in administering the system for collecting prepayments.
(((11))) (12) For purposes of this section unless the context
clearly requires otherwise, the following definitions apply:
(a) "Electronic bill presentment and payment" means statements,
invoices, or bills that are created, delivered, and paid using the
internet. The term includes an automatic electronic payment from a
person's checking account, debit account, or credit card.
(b) "Internet" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 19.270.010.
Sec. 3 RCW 84.56.070 and 2009 c 350 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The county treasurer ((shall)) must proceed to collect all
personal property taxes after first completing the tax roll for the
current year's collection.
(2) The treasurer ((shall)) must give notice by mail to all persons
charged with personal property taxes, and if such taxes are not paid
before they become delinquent, the treasurer ((shall forthwith proceed
to collect the same)) must commence delinquent collection efforts. A
delinquent collection charge for costs incurred by the treasurer must
be added to the account.
(3) In the event that ((he or she)) the treasurer is unable to
collect the ((same)) taxes when due under this section, the treasurer
((shall)) must prepare papers in distraint, which ((shall)) must
contain a description of the personal property, the amount of taxes,
the amount of the accrued interest at the rate provided by law from the
date of delinquency, and the name of the owner or reputed owner.
(a) The treasurer ((shall)) must without demand or notice distrain
sufficient goods and chattels belonging to the person charged with such
taxes to pay the same, with interest at the rate provided by law from
the date of delinquency, together with all accruing costs, and
((shall)) must proceed to advertise the same by posting written notices
in three public places in the county in which such property has been
distrained, one of which places ((shall)) must be at the county
courthouse, such notice to state the time when and place where such
property will be sold.
(b) The county treasurer, or the treasurer's deputy, ((shall)) must
tax the same fees for making the distraint and sale of goods and
chattels for the payment of taxes as are allowed by law to sheriffs for
making levy and sale of property on execution; traveling fees to be
computed from the county seat of the county to the place of making
distraint.
(c) If the taxes for which such property is distrained, and the
interest and costs accruing thereon, are not paid before the date
appointed for such sale, which ((shall be)) may not be less than ten
days after the taking of such property, such treasurer or treasurer's
designee ((shall)) must proceed to sell such property at public
auction, or so much thereof as ((shall be)) is sufficient to pay such
taxes, with interest and costs, and if there be any excess of money
arising from the sale of any personal property, the treasurer ((shall))
must pay such excess less any cost of the auction to the owner of the
property so sold or to his or her legal representative((: PROVIDED,
That whenever it shall become)).
(d) If necessary to distrain any standing timber owned separately
from the ownership of the land upon which the same may stand, or any
fish trap, pound net, reef net, set net, or drag seine fishing
location, or any other personal property as the treasurer ((shall))
determines to be incapable or reasonably impracticable of manual
delivery, it ((shall be)) is deemed to have been distrained and taken
into possession when the treasurer ((shall have)) has, at least thirty
days before the date fixed for the sale thereof, filed with the auditor
of the county wherein such property is located a notice in writing
reciting that the treasurer has distrained such property, describing
it, giving the name of the owner or reputed owner, the amount of the
tax due, with interest, and the time and place of sale((;)). A copy of
the notice ((shall)) must also be sent to the owner or reputed owner at
his or her last known address, by registered letter at least thirty
days prior to the date of sale((: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That)).
(e) If the county treasurer has reasonable grounds to believe that
any personal property, including mobile homes, manufactured homes, or
park model trailers, upon which taxes have been levied, but not paid,
is about to be removed from the county where the same has been
assessed, or is about to be destroyed, sold, or disposed of, the county
treasurer may demand such taxes, without the notice provided for in
this section, and if necessary may ((forthwith)) distrain sufficient
goods and chattels to pay the same.